


Hollow Moon

by lonely_no_more



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, I was kind of rambling for a bit of this, Masquerade-less!AU, Mirai is in this, werewolf!Shizune
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 14:45:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3732799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonely_no_more/pseuds/lonely_no_more
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shizune was perfectly happy living her life as a nurse. She was capable of handling the aggression that came with being a werewolf. What she was not prepared for was Tsunade and how that woman would become part of her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hollow Moon

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first TsuShizu thing I've written in years. (This is also the longest single-chapter work I've ever done.)

Shizune was not one to complain about her workload at the clinic. She worked tirelessly and diligently, earning every cent that she made. The other nurses and technicians habitually relied on her to switch shifts or cover for them when something came up. Still, Shizune didn’t complain. Her job was far too valuable. One Friday evening, probably close to 1800 with the way the sun was sending orange shafts of light through the windows, she turned to Doctor Makoto Kaguro and asked, “Sir, is there anything else you need for me to do?”

Shaking his head and scratching the short, curly hair at the base of his neck, the doctor said, “No. Go ahead and time out.”

She smiled cheerfully but decided to wordlessly do as she was told. Doctor Kaguro was notoriously foul-tempered on weekends and especially with the few on his staff that were not human. As Shizune went to the back room and slung her backpack over one shoulder, she waved to a couple other members of staff and left out the backdoor. Thankfully, the clinic was a short walk from her apartment and it was still light out. Not that Shizune felt insecure at night; she could hold her own in a fight and humans stood little to no chance against her superior strength.

The sound of approaching footsteps- full of purpose and a small attempt to be silent- made her turn and grin. “Nice try, Anko.” She laughed as the other woman groaned and ran up, falling into step beside her. Shizune smirked. “I don’t know why you still keep trying. You know I can hear you.”

Running a hand into her violet hair and snorting, Anko replied, “Yeah, well, one of these days, you _won’t_ be able to hear me. And I’ll catch you off-guard.” While they waited for the light to turn, Anko asked, “Kaguro give you any grief today?”

Shizune shook her head. “Nah. He was more concerned with two of his favorites calling in fifteen minutes before their shifts were supposed to start. He was furious.” When they continued on the other side of the street, Shizune glanced at her companion and nudged her. “So what’s up with you? I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

“Oh, _dude_ , remember Kurenai and Asuma?”

“Uh,” Shizune mumbled, “yeah? They chilled at our place last Christmas because Asuma got kicked out of his dad’s house again and then he died in that horrible pile-up like three months later.” Shizune sighed softly. “Poor guy. He was pretty cool.”

“Yeah, well, it’s been nearly a year since then and I’ve been hanging out with Kurenai a lot. And her daughter is hella cute, man. I _swear to God_ , I love that kid.” She leaned against the wall outside Shizune’s apartment as the other woman unlocked the door and said, “Kurenai is an awesome cook too, bro. She made this stir-fry the other night and I like- didn’t even care that there wasn’t any dessert.”

Finally inside the apartment, Shizune kicked off her shoes and went towards her bedroom, calling over her shoulder, “Anko, it sounds like you’re falling for her. Have you asked her out on a date or whatever?” As she stripped off her scrubs, Shizune heard Anko flop down on the bed. Getting no response, Shizune paused in front of her closet. “I take your silence as a ‘no’ then.” She grabbed a pair of jeans off the shelf and then snatched her favorite button-up off the hanger.

Anko groaned, “Shizune, you don’t understand, she’s probably straight. I don’t wanna like...lose her friendship, man. She’s way too awesome.” When Shizune lay back beside her, Anko finally removed her forearm from over her eyes and asked, “What should I do? I haven’t been in a relationship since we dated.”

“That’s been two _years_ and you’re telling me you haven’t dated since then.”

Scowling, Anko reached over and slapped her friend’s shoulder. “Neither have you. Besides, I messed around with a couple girls.”

Shizune hummed. “Kakashi and I messed around a few times. It was nothing serious though.”

“Whoa. I had _no_ idea.” Anko sat up, scratching at her collarbone. “Man, this sucks. I’m _never_ this indecisive.” She glanced at her friend, still spread out on the bed. “Anyone you’re interested in?”

“Nah. Haven’t met anyone who strikes my interest. Besides, _werewolves_ aren’t prime dating material.”

Anko grumbled, “ _I_ dated you.”

“No one ever said you were sane,” Shizune replied in a sing-song tone. She rolled out of the way as Anko went for a punch. As they began to run around the bedroom, Shizune’s ears perked at the sound of the doorbell. “Whoa, hang on, man. There’s someone at my door.”

“Then...go see who it is?” Anko followed as Shizune went back to the entry and peeked through the peep-hole. “Who is it?”

“Dunno. She’s really pretty though.” She went to unlock the door, reaching back to shove Anko away as the other woman began making cat-calls. “Shut up, dude, she’ll run away if you act like a fucking animal.” As soon as Anko had quieted down and gone to the living room, Shizune opened the door and smiled brightly at the woman on the other side of the threshold. “Hey! Is there something I can help you with?”

The other woman was just a little shorter than Shizune but she had a fire in her eyes that made her seem larger than life. She grinned and stuck her hand out. “My name is Tsunade Senju, pharmaceutical scientist, Ph.D.” Giving Shizune a firm handshake, she asked, “Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Shizune blinked and stepped aside to open the door further for the woman. “Uh, no, I don’t mind. Would you like to come in and sit down?” While Tsunade came in and removed her shoes, Shizune shut the door and went to the living room, quickly shooting a glare at Anko. After they had settled comfortably in the living room, Shizune looked at her guest curiously. “So what would you like to know?”

Tsunade crossed her legs, taking on a business-like air as she asked, “Are you Shizune, by chance? I went to the clinic and asked Doctor Kaguro but your shift had already ended.”

“Uh, yeah. My name is Shizune. Shizune Kato.” Her smile faltered slightly as she mumbled, “Is there a reason why you’re looking for me though?”

“You’re a werewolf.”

The air grew thick and uncomfortable in that instant and Shizune saw Anko’s expression go from relaxed to angry out of the corner of her eye. Shizune shot her another glare and then looked back at Tsunade, her expression guarded. “Well, yeah. Why do you know that though?”

Blinking, Tsunade groaned and rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. Chill out. I don’t mean any harm. See, my company has been developing a medication that is supposed to help werewolves control the violent impulses that seem to happen so frequently during their transformation.” She looked between the two friends and explained, “I’m here to ask if you would mind assisting in the experimental trial. We’ve been advertizing but-”

“Not quite as many takers as you had hoped?” Shizune finished. She visibly relaxed and, seeing that, Anko eased up as well. When Tsunade gave a half-hearted scoff, Shizune laughed. “Sorry you haven’t gotten as many as you’ve needed. But I’ll be happy to assist.” Her heart jumped when Tsunade’s smile brightened.

Tsunade leaned forward and shook her hand again. “You have _no idea_ how much I appreciate this.” She grabbed her laptop bag and dug around in one of the front pockets. “Hang on, hang on...there we go.” Tsunade produced a thin folder and handed it to Shizune, explaining, “This is the release forms, medical history, all that jazz. Complete it, bring it in to my office on Tuesday around- jeez, when would be best- let’s say ten.” She also handed Shizune a business card. “If you have any questions, you can call me or send me an email. Sound good?”

Shizune nodded and smiled. “Yeah, absolutely.” She stood as soon as Tsunade did and followed her to the door, holding her laptop bag and purse politely while Tsunade put on her high heels. Before Tsunade walked away, Shizune chirped, “Have a good evening, Miss!”

Tsunade paused and looked back at Shizune, smiling as she gave a small wave and walked off. Anko came up behind Shizune, slamming a hand down on the other woman’s shoulder and whistling. “Well, damn. I think you’ve got an interest now.”

“Shut up, man,” Shizune grumbled as she closed the door and went about cooking dinner.

[X]

Getting registered to participate in the clinical study was easy. Shizune easily passed drug tests and had never smoked a day in her life. Three months into the study, however, saw the woman in a state that she had often dealt with before. The day after the full moon, Shizune sat up on her couch and looked around at the devastation that her transformation had caused. Head thundering, she staggered to her feet and moved over to answer the incessant screeching of her phone. Shizune mumbled thickly, “H’llo?”

“ _Shizune? Oh, thank God you’re ok. I’ve been knocking at your door for the past ten minutes and I haven’t heard a damn thing. Uh...would you mind letting me in? One of your neighbors is giving me this really weird look._ ” Tsunade went quiet for a moment before Shizune heard from outside, “ _Mind your goddamn business, freak show! I’m checking on a friend!_ ”

Shizune slowly made her way over to the door and opened it, trying to squint against the glaring lights of the hallway. “Tsunade, jus- oh, fuck those _lights_ \- just come in, ok?” As soon as Tsunade was inside, Shizune slammed the door shut and grumbled, “You didn’t have to come over, y’know. Just...I mean, I appreciate it...fucking _Christ, my head_.” She slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor and bemoaning the pain in her head.

Tsunade blinked. “Did you get _drunk_ or is this pretty normal after a transformation?”

“This happens after a transformation...our human body has to catch up from all the shit our werewolf form did. That includes anything we ate.” She visibly paled and rested her head on her knees. Shizune shut her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She tensed, feeling a cool hand on the back of her neck. Peeking through her bangs, she looked at Tsunade and mumbled, “What’re you doing?”

“I’m gonna help you.” She gently hefted Shizune into her arms and carried the slender nurse over to the couch and set her down. “Do you have anything to settle your stomach?”

Shizune pressed her face into the throw pillow and grumbled, “I have ginger ale in the fridge. And I only want a slice of bread or something. Just plain.” She whimpered when her phone rang again. “Tsunade...would you mind answering that?”

Tsunade knelt beside the ailing werewolf and picked up the phone, running her fingers gently through Shizune’s hair as she said, “This is Tsunade. What’s up?”

Anko laughed on the other end. “ _Holy shit, the puppy actually let someone in? I’m shocked. Whatever. I’m glad you’re there. I was actually calling to see if she needed me to come over._ ” In the background, Tsunade could hear giggling and the indistinct murmuring of another woman. “ _I’ll check back later. Take care of her, a’ight?_ ”

“All right. Bye.” Tsunade set the phone aside, finally noticing that Shizune was out cold. She smiled but felt it fall quickly as she looked around at the mess. ‘ _This doesn’t seem like Shizune at all. When I was first here, it was absolutely meticulous._ ’ Tsunade quietly got up, steeling herself for the tedious duty of picking up a little bit. The blankets were folded and set at the end of the couch while the pillows were stacked in one of the chairs. She found a broom in the nearby closet and swept up the trace amounts of food off the floor. Carefully, Tsunade also swept up the remains of a small potted plant and noted to tell Shizune. When all was said and done, the woman plopped down in the chair closest to the couch and looked at the slumbering werewolf. “You’re lucky, y’know that? Really damn lucky.” She flipped on the TV, lowering the volume to a mumble while she reached over and continued to run her fingers through Shizune’s hair. It didn’t take long to doze off, fading from the dull noise and meager light.

“Tsunade? Hey, Tsunade, wake up. I’m about to order some food. Do you want something?”

Rousing slowly, the scientist blinked and groaned, “Wha- Shizune, you’re awake?” She opened her eyes to see the werewolf smiling gently. “By the way, you broke your potted plant. I can’t remember what it was but I swept it up.”

“I noticed. Thank you for doing that. You really didn’t have to.” Shizune sat down on the couch and smiled wanly. “I wanted to ask about the placebo I’ve been taking. But we can discuss that over dinner. Anything you want in particular?”

“Uh...what’re you ordering?”

Shizune grinned. “Pizza. There’s a really nice pizza place down the street. They also make some killer pasta and sub sandwiches.” She handed a menu to Tsunade and, once they had decided, called it in.

Tsunade grumbled, “How did you know it was a placebo anyway?”

“There’s been absolutely no change in my tendencies since I tried taking the pills you’ve given. Besides. I could smell that it was just a sugar pill.” Shizune scratched the back of her neck and asked, “Has the actual test group seen any progress?”

Tsunade nodded and her eyes brightened, making Shizune’s stomach flutter. “It’s been incredible. Normally, humans need to stay far away from werewolves during their transformations and they also need to be someplace with very little noise pollution. But they’ve been in simulated city situations and been absolutely perfect. Shizune, I think the medication is a success. I mean, we’ve run tests across the nation, in other cities and all that and had similar results. But for this city and the low density of werewolves, it’s been impressive to see the change.” She took a breath and stated, “This has been years in the making but I’m so happy to be on the project.”

Shizune stood and grabbed her wallet off the table, putting it in her back pocket. She said, “I’m really happy to be helping. Although, I’ll be even happier when the medication is actually marketed so that I can take it. I’m kind of tired of breaking my own stuff.” She paused after she shoved her keys in her pocket and asked, “Do you wanna come with while I pick up our food? It’s just a short walk. Maybe five minutes.”

Tsunade shrugged. “Sure. Let me grab my purse.” When she noticed Shizune’s slight frown, the woman asked, “What? Don’t tell me that you’re worried about robbers.”

“Hell nah, I can handle those jerks myself.” The slight accent that traced Shizune’s voice made Tsunade’s interest perk. Shizune sighed, “Dinner is on me, ok? I just really don’t wanna risk being targeted since you’ve got a purse. Besides that, you’re extremely attractive and unfortunately, that makes you an even bigger target.”

“All right,” Tsunade laughed, “I can’t complain with a free dinner.” She grabbed Shizune’s hand as they walked out the door, making sure it was locked. Tsunade glanced at the werewolf, asking, “You don’t mind if I hold your hand, right?” She grinned, noticing the faint blush on Shizune’s cheeks.

Shizune stammered, “N-nah, it’s all right. Hopefully, it’ll keep anyone from trying to mess with you.”

After reaching the pizza place without incident and getting their food, the pair began their trek back to Shizune’s apartment. “So...Tsunade, uhm, what kind of stuff do you do when you’re not being all science-y.”

“Well,” Tsunade snorted, “I don’t think I’d call my everyday work ‘being all _science-y_ ’ but on my daysoff, I like to go to go swimming and read science-fiction novels.”

Shizune hummed two-tone and smiled. “I never pegged you for science-fiction. I like fantasy, myself, but I also play a lot of video games when I’m off work.” She frowned, seeing a small group suddenly stand up off the wall they were slumped against. To Tsunade, she whispered, “Do you know how to fight?”

Tsunade nodded. “Of course. Do you want me to take these guys if they try anything?”

“Would you be offended if I said I’d kind of like to show off and say I can handle it?” Shizune replied with a grin.

“I’d like to see that,” the scientist retorted.

One of the guys called out, “Hey, sexy, wanna hang out?” When he was pointedly ignored, he stepped up in front of the women and smiled. “Hey, c’mon, I’m talkin’ to ya.”

Shizune grumbled, “Yeah and we walked by you. We don’t wanna talk to you. So leave us alone, all right?” She tightened her grip on Tsunade’s hand and allowed the other woman to guide their way around the man.

“Wait, wait, wait,” one of the other guys piped up. He came up on Tsunade’s other side, smiling and holding a hand to his chest. “We’re nice guys. We just wanna talk and have a little fun.” He reached out and put his hand on Tsunade’s shoulder to halt her. “C’mon.”

Tsunade growled, “You ‘ _c’mon,_ ’ you little prick. Take your hand off me. My friend and I just wanna go home and eat our dinner. It’s been a long fucking day.” When he didn’t remove his hand immediately, the woman let go of Shizune’s hand and reached over to squeeze his hand in hers and snarl, “ _I said to let go._ ”

His face contorted in pain as he tried to pull away from her grip. “Hey, let go, you crazy broad!” As soon as Tsunade had let go, he went back to his group of friends and they retreated slightly. “Fine, get the fuck outta here! We don’t want your kind around anyway!”

Shizune frowned but took Tsunade’s hand in hers and hurried back up the street and into the apartment building. “Sorry about that.”

Tsunade mumbled, “I thought you said you wanted to show off?” She smiled gently and nudged the taller woman as they entered the apartment. “Shizune, hey, wait a second and just look at me.” When Shizune continued on to the kitchen without a single word, Tsunade stormed after her and caught the werewolf’s elbow. “Shizune!”

“ _What?_ ” She rounded on Tsunade with a snarl but immediately let it fall when shock entered Tsunade’s gaze. “I...I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” Her eyes widened when Tsunade hugged her, glancing to the side and meeting the amber-brown eyes. “What the-”

“You’re ridiculous, y’know that?” Tsunade gently rubbed Shizune’s back, smiling to feel some of the tension ease. “C’mon, let’s eat and watch something. Got any good movies?” They each grabbed their respective dinners and sat on the couch with a bit of space between them. Shizune found her stack of movies and showed the scientist. “You’ve actually got a lot of horror films.”

Shizune grinned sheepishly. “Most people think that I would scare easily but I’m just really logical about all of it.” She said, “I could always play one of my video games. You might really like the storyline. One of them is sci-fi. And it’s a trilogy, so if you like it, we can keep on going with it whenever you want.” At Tsunade’s excited grin, the werewolf put the game in and settled back on the couch with her controller. “So, other than sci-fi and obviously being interested in science and medicine, do you have a favorite sport or anything? I used to play rugby back in high school.”

Tsunade shifted, sitting just a bit closer to Shizune as she watched the opening scene of the game. She replied, “I actually was on the varsity soccer team at my school. And I was also in debate.”

Smirking, Shizune chuckled, “I get the odd feeling you were especially good at debate.”

“And drama.”

“Oh, I so _knew that_ ,” the werewolf snickered. She shied away as the scientist batted playfully at her shoulder. “C’mon! You just have that kind of personality!”

Tsunade huffed and replied, “All right, all right, well, what about you?”

“Well, I was really active in school. Played rugby, was on the honor roll _every time_ ,” Shizune smirked as the scientist gave a melodramatic gasp. “Yes, I know, it’s a shock. A monster on the honor roll. _Anyway_ , I also did a lot of volunteering in the tutoring program at the neighboring elementary school.”

“Fuck, you sound like a Goddamn saint,” Tsunade laughed. Her jaw dropped. “Oh my God, he just _shot that guy point blank._ Please tell me that we get to kill him later in the game!” When Shizune just smiled, the other woman whined, “Shizune, _no, don’t do this to me, you have to tell me_.” She slumped against Shizune’s side, eventually flopping across the werewolf’s lap. “ _Please tell me that we get to kill him_.”

“We get to kill him,” Shizune replied. She settled comfortably as Tsunade shifted a little to lay with her head in the monster’s lap. “You like this so far?”

Tsunade hummed and asked, “Shizune, did you and Anko used to date?”

Shizune nodded, despite the fact that her companion could not see her, and said, “Yeah, we broke up a couple years ago.” She continued playing, asking, “Why?”

“She looked ready to jump my shit back when I first came here to ask if you’d participate in the study. I thought maybe it was a bit more recent.” When she heard Shizune laugh, the blonde woman turned on her host’s lap with a curious look. “What’s so funny?”

“Ah, nothing! Anko is just kind of protective, that’s all. We’ve been fighting together since we were nine-years-old. Like, after she found out I was a werewolf, she started teaching me to stand up for myself on the streets when we were out playing and we used to get into some brawls a while back.” Looking at the clock, Shizune asked, “Do you need to get home anytime soon?”

The shorter woman smirked. “Why? Trying to get rid of me?”

Shaking her head, Shizune said, “No. Just wondering if you needed me to walk you home or anything. Or if you want, you can stay the night. I’ll sleep on the couch and you can take my bed.” She took a moment longer to finish a shoot out and then paused the game as Tsunade sat back up. “So?”

“I’ll just stay here if that’s cool with you.” Tsunade looked down at herself and then back at Shizune. “Do you have any pajama pants or anything that I could wear?”

Shizune grinned and nodded. “Yeah, come with me.” She led the way back to her bedroom and knelt to search through one of the lower shelves in her closet. “Uh, do you care if they’re, like, dude’s lounge pants?”

Tsunade blinked and mumbled, “No?”

“Good. Here,” Shizune said as she tossed back a pair of grey cotton pants. “Do you need a shirt too?”

“Nah, I’m already wearing a t-shirt so I can just sleep in that.”

While Tsunade went to the bathroom to change, Shizune took the time to slip on a pair of basketball shorts before sitting on the edge of her bed and looking at the picture on her nightstand. She smiled faintly at the happy trio in the image. She heaved a sigh and hung her head, running a hand through her hair. When she looked back up, Tsunade stood in the doorway. “Oh, sorry. Uh. Do you want to go back to the living room or are you tired-”

“I’m not really tired just yet. So,” Tsunade said, “are there any DLCs for this first game?”

Shizune grinned and stood, leading the way back to her living room. “The second and third games have pretty good DLCs. But the first game is pretty awesome. Just...you need to see Shepard drive.”

“Oh God.”

[X]

It was two months later that Shizune sat at the park with Anko, watching Kurenai push her daughter on the swing. Anko kept smiling at the taller woman and, when Kurenai needed a break, would hold Mirai and make the little girl giggle. Shizune grinned. “So, Kurenai, how’s the job hunt going?”

“Great, I think. I’ve been applying for jobs at a local counseling center. You know. Certified therapist and all that. And I’ve got an interview lined up on Wednesday.” The woman smiled, the light reaching her crimson eyes and making them sparkle. “I’m really hopeful. Hiruzen has been really wonderful to me and helping me out with Mirai.” She blushed faintly and glanced at Anko. “Of course, Anko has been helping me out too. And Mirai _adores_ her.”

Shizune smiled to see the embarrassed flush of her best friend’s cheeks. Her ears perked as she heard a shout from across the park. Her smile fell slightly when she glanced over and saw a girl with pink hair throwing a punch at a blonde boy. “I’ll be right back.” She got up, leaving the other two women to find out what the scuffle was about.

“Gimme back my hoodie, Naruto!”

“C’mon, Sakura, just chill out! Play with the rest of us!” When Shizune walked up, the boy froze and the girl managed to snatch her hoodie away. “Hey, what’s up?”

Shizune asked, “Why’d you take her hoodie?”

Naruto blinked. “I just wanted Sakura to come play with the rest of us. She never hangs out with anyone.”

“That’s no way to get someone to come play.” She glanced at the girl before she tugged the hoodie back on, noticing the pale scars on her shoulders and arms. Looking back at Naruto, she said, “Monsters have to look out for one another. Humans very rarely give a damn about us and they like to torment us. All because there are some of us who want to fit in.” She sighed and scratched the back of her head. “Just give it a rest for now, ok?”

“Sorry, Sakura,” the boy mumbled before running off to the group of other monster children. A boy with red hair tossed a small sandstorm at Naruto, making the boys laugh and chase each other.

Looking at the pink-haired girl, Shizune asked, “Hey, you all right?”

Sakura nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” When she started to walk away, Shizune clapped a hand on her shoulder and the girl paused to look back and asked, “What is it?”

“My name is Shizune.”

The girl turned slightly, facing the older woman. “I’m Sakura.”

Shizune smiled brightly and asked, “Do you wanna get some ice cream?” She pointed to the vendor just a few feet away.

Sakura smirked, “You’re buying.”

“Sure,” Shizune laughed. Getting each of them a cone, Shizune led the way to a bench and sat down with the younger girl. “So, what’s the deal with Naruto?”

“He’s weird. I mean, he’s a fox spirit, like his mom. His dad is a lightning spirit though, so he has a bit of capability with that too.” Sakura frowned, looking down at her ice cream. “He’s not...bad. I guess. I just don’t want to hang out with a lot of people.”

“It’s ok. I’m like that too when it’s close to full moon.” When Sakura looked at her, Shizune explained, “I’m a werewolf too.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “How’d you-”

Lowering her voice, Shizune admitted, “I saw the scars.” When Sakura’s head drooped, Shizune finished off her cone and said, “Hang on.” She slipped her jacket off, leaving herself in a tanktop. “See?” On her own arms and shoulders, pale pink scars stretched faintly over her lightly tanned skin. At the look of amazement on Sakura’s face, the older werewolf said, “I understand what it’s like to rather hurt yourself than hurt others. If you ever need to talk, you can come see me.” She scribbled out her number on the napkin with the pen she regularly carried in her cargo pocket. “Call me and I can either come get you or I’ll give you my address.” She waited while Sakura shoved the napkin in her pocket. “Are your parents around?”

“Nah. My mom died a couple years back from cancer. And my dad...I dunno where he is. He kinda just disappeared.”

Shizune frowned. “You have a foster family?”

Sakura nodded. “Yeah, TenTen is my foster sister. She’s the girl with the two buns, right there.” She pointed to a brunette girl with a cheerful grin. “She’s cool. She looks after me. Her parents are cool too. They have trouble with me during the week leading up to the full moon though. On the day of, they drive me out to the forest and let me run around. I always come back just before I turn back though. So it’s ok.”

“Well, that’s pretty smart.” Shizune smiled and patted the girl’s back. “Take it easy, ok?”

With a grin, Sakura nodded and walked off to her sister.

Anko walked up, hands in her pockets as she asked, “What the hell was that about?”

“Just looking out for a fellow werewolf.” Shizune grinned and stood. “You wanna get some lunch? I’m starving.”

“Oh my God, you’re such a puppy.” Anko reached over, scratching behind Shizune’s ear and laughing when the other woman smiled blissfully. “All right, let’s go to that diner down the street. Kurenai and Mirai left. Hiruzen wanted to have lunch with them.”

While they walked, Shizune felt her phone vibrate. Pulling it out, she grinned. Tsunade had sent her a message, reading: **Hey, do u wanna hang out?**

 **Yeah, sure. Anko and I are heading to the diner on Third and Main.** Turning to look at Anko, the werewolf asked, “You mind if Tsunade joins?”

Anko smirked. “Ooh, you’re fallin’ in love.” She laughed when her friend shoved her playfully. “C’mon, man. You tease me constantly about Kurenai and I can’t mess with you about the hot, blonde scientist? You ruin all my fun.”

Shizune smiled at the reply. **B there in 5. L8r!** She shook her head and shoved the phone back in her pocket as they were seated at a table in the diner. A few minutes later, the scientist walked in and strode over with a grin. “Hey!”

“Hey,” Shizune greeted as she stood up. She hugged the blonde, sitting back down and scooting over to allow her friend into the booth. “So what’s up?”

“Not much. I met my younger brother for breakfast earlier. He’s in college, studying law. He wants to be a politician. God help us all.” She laughed. After they ordered, the women fell into a steady conversation over work and life in general.

Then, Anko asked, “So, Tsunade, you still single?”

Tsunade looked mildly perplexed. “Yeah, have been for a while now. God, I think the last time I had a significant other was...two years ago? No, three. Three years ago.” When Anko raised an eyebrow, the scientist simply shrugged. When their food arrived, the first few moments were spent in silence as they began eating. After a few bites of her meal, Tsunade asked, “Did you ask out Kurenai yet?”

Anko choked. She covered her mouth as she coughed and shot a glare at Shizune as the werewolf laughed. “H-how did you know about that?”

Shizune gasped. “Oh my God. _Sarutobi Pharmaceuticals._ I knew that sounded familiar, oh shit.” Shizune slapped her forehead with her palm, continuing to laugh. “Oh wow. Ok.”

Anko mumbled, “I asked her out today, while Shizune was playing mediator with some kids.”

“For real?” Shizune gasped, “Did she say yes?”

Kicking her friend under the table, Anko retorted, “Well, yeah, asshole! I wouldn’t have admitted to it otherwise!” She groaned as Tsunade laughed also, resting her head on the table. “I hate both of you.”

Tsunade grinned. “C’mon, chill. The old man just talks about how happy you make Kurenai. It’s all good.” She settled back in the booth and smiled as her shoulder bumped against Shizune’s arm. The conversation lulled for a few minutes as they sipped their drinks and allowed Anko to collect herself. “Oh, hey, Shizune, when can I come over so we can play that game again?”

Blushing faintly, the werewolf replied, “Anytime you want. Even though it’s _me_ playing the game and you _watching_ but we’re about to get to the awesome part in the second game where we destroy the Collector base.”

“We get to destroy the base? Hell _yes_.” She went to grab the checks when Shizune reached over and snatched them out of her reach. “Hey!”

“I’ve got it, no worries.” She waved to the waitress. “Hey, Ayame. Both of these are on me.” She handed the brunette waitress her card and grinned. “Thanks.”

“Gimme just a sec and I’ll have this back for you,” replied the girl with a sweet grin.

Once Ayame was gone, Tsunade turned and slapped Shizune’s shoulder. She grinned. “You ass.”

“I’m just being polite!”

“That’s not being polite, that’s being _idiotically sweet_ , now stop it and let me handle my own business.”

Shizune raised an eyebrow. “Really? You’re gonna complain about a free meal?”

Tsunade pursed her lips, refusing to answer as Ayame returned with Shizune’s card. “Here you go! Have a great day, all right?”

As they walked the couple blocks to Shizune’s apartment, the two taller women stayed close to either side of the blonde woman. Tsunade asked, “Is there any particular reason you two are acting like bodyguards?”

Blushing again, Shizune giggled nervously. “Force of habit. I just don’t want anyone to think they can mess with you.”

“I know how to fight, Shizune,” the scientist chimed. She smiled wryly. “Are you trying to impress me?”

Anko whistled. “ _Busted_!” She sidestepped to avoid a punch from Shizune with a laugh. “C’mon, man, no shame!” She laughed harder and ran ahead, taking the stairs two at a time. Shizune followed and Tsunade shook her head with a heavy sigh. “ _Lovebiiiiirds_!”

“Shut up, Anko!” When Tsunade reached the floor of Shizune’s apartment, she laughed to see Anko with Shizune in a headlock. “Let me go! I need to get into my apartment so I can kill you!” The pair struggled, causing a door or two on the same floor to open and the neighbors looked out curiously.

Tsunade called out, “It’s cool! They’re just being college kids.”

Muffled from having her face pressed to Anko’s side, Shizune protested, “But I’m out of college!” They finally managed to get into the apartment and the pair pushed away from one another with laughter. Shizune smiled, hair messy from the playful scuffle, and asked, “Do you want something to drink before we get started? I’ve got tea, water, soda...”

“Do you got any beer?” Anko questioned.

“No, Anko, I do not have any beer,” retorted Shizune. Grabbing their drinks, the trio moved to the living room and Anko smirked to see Tsunade rest against Shizune’s side, head resting on the werewolf’s shoulder. “All right. Time to kill some aliens.”

Tsunade laughed and watched as Shizune leaped into battle. A few hours later, after replaying certain missions and getting the wanted outcome, Anko and Tsunade both got their things together to leave. Anko gave her friend a hug. “See ya later, mutt.”

“Later, psycho,” Shizune replied with a grin. Anko waved and went on her way. Turning to Tsunade, the taller woman asked, “Do you want me to walk you to the bus stop?”

“Nah, it’s ok. I texted my brother. He’s gonna give me a lift back to my house.” She smiled and leaned to press a kiss to the werewolf’s cheek.

Shizune blushed but returned the affection, mumbling, “Text me when you get home safe, all right?” Tsunade nodded and laced her fingers with Shizune’s as the woman walked her down to Nawaki’s car. Then, waving at one another, Shizune headed back up to her apartment.

After a quick shower, she smiled to see a text waiting for her. **Home safe. Sleep well ;)**

[X]

A month on from her meeting Sakura, the older woman got a phone call. “ _Shizune? It’s Sakura. I was wondering if I could talk to you. I’m getting really aggressive. I mean worse than usual. And it kinda scares me._ ”

“Do you want me to come over or something?” Shizune was off work for four days that usually consisted of the worst around the full moon. She ran a hand through her hair, waiting for the noise on the other end of the line to settle a little. “Sakura?”

“ _Sorry. I’m just so- God fucking dammit- sorry. I’m really, really irritable. Look, could I just come over or something? I don’t wanna snap at my family and, like, you’re a werewolf too so you’d be able to handle me if I start getting outta control._ ”

Sighing heavily, the older woman ran a hand down her face. “Are you off school?”

“ _It’s spring break, thankfully_.”

Shizune groaned, “All right. Let me get dressed. I’ll come get you. Your parents know?”

“ _Well_ ,” Sakura muttered, “ _they actually kinda suggested it_.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen. If my car even starts anymore.”

“ _Do you not drive_?”

Shizune shrugged, despite Sakura being unable to see it and replied, “I prefer walking. Clears my head and it’s good exercise.” She slipped her wallet into her pocket and snatched her keys off the table, saying, “Be ready when I get there. I might talk to your parents a bit though.”

Sakura groaned on the other end. “ _Can you_ not?”

“Later, Sakura.” Ending the call, Shizune headed down the stairs and to her silver sedan, managing to start it without incident. “Ha. I knew you still loved me.” She grinned and, turning on the alternative station, got on her way to the younger werewolf’s home. Traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as it usually was and for that, Shizune was appreciative. Pulling up outside of the Wakahisa residence, the woman took the steps slowly; her heart was pounding slightly, feeling the cozy atmosphere that seemed to surround the townhouse. When the door opened after a curt knock, she did her best to smile naturally.

“Ah, Shizune, thank God. We’re so happy to see you.” Hiro Wakahisa was average in most ways. His slightly graying brown hair was normal for a man of forty-seven and his hazel eyes were showing wrinkles at the corners from all the years of smiling. “C’mon in. Hikari just made tea.”

The werewolf slipped off her shoes and followed, quietly laughing. “Sorry if I seem too informal. I kind of thought that Sakura was in a hurry to leave.”

Hikari called from the dining room, “She is but there’s really no rush. She’s been apologizing to us for a solid ten minutes though.” In the dining room, TenTen and Sakura sat side by side, across from their parents. Hikari’s pitch-colored hair was braided and pulled up into a bun near the base of her neck. She seemed almost ageless, save for the thin line of white hairs at her temples. “Teenagers. One minute they can’t stand you and the next they can’t fathom their lives without you.”

Shizune laughed while Sakura and TenTen groaned. She sat down beside the two girls and gratefully accepted the warm cup of tea that Hiro held out to her. “Anything I should know before I take Sakura? Any homework she needs to do, any classes she’s failing?”

“What are you, my tutor?” Sakura huffed.

Shizune raised an eyebrow. “I’m a mentor, of sorts, if you think about it. I’m older and have more experience as a werewolf. I know almost _exactly_ what you’re going through.” After a second or two, she grinned and ruffled Sakura’s hair, drawing an offended gasp from the teen.

Hikari shook her head. “Sakura is _phenomenal_ in school. She gets...perfect grades, almost. She could do a little better in gym though.” She chuckled as Sakura rolled her eyes again. As Shizune sipped at her tea, Hikari asked, “So, is there anyone in your life, Shizune?”

The werewolf choked, managing to not spit her tea across the table by some miracle. Running a hand over her face and struggling to hide the blush on her cheeks, she bit back a remark as the two teenage girls giggled. “W-well, not really.”

“Really? But you’re such a nice girl! You’re sure there’s no one?” Hiro smiled. “Sakura tells me that there’s been a pretty scientist you’ve been talking to.”

Shizune shot a glare at the teen, reaching over to lightly backhand her shoulder. “Traitor...” She turned her attention back to Hiro, despite his daughters still giggling and replied, “Well, I mean, we’re not _together._ We haven’t even been on a date but- I do like her.”

Hiro and Hikari nodded slowly and smiled at one another mysteriously, making Shizune’s spine tingle as if they knew something she did not. When she finished her tea, Hikari stood and shook her hand, saying, “Take care of Sakura and yourself! And please, don’t be shy about dropping in. We love having you here.”

TenTen grinned and waved as Sakura and Shizune got up. “Try not to kill my sister, all right?”

“Right. Well, if anything happens, I promise I’ll bring you her urn,” Shizune replied. TenTen laughed while Sakura’s eyes visibly narrowed. Then, with a lighter smile, Shizune gently nudged the younger werewolf and said, “C’mon, let’s go. There’s an awesome food stand on the way back to my house. They serve the best gyros ever.”

Sakura grinned, snatched up her duffle bag, and ran to the front door, hollering, “Let’s go! I’m starving!”

[X]

As the full moon was only a day away, Shizune remembered exactly how horrible transforming was during the teenage years. Her eyebrows shot up when the teenager proceeded to throw her cell phone for the tenth time that day. “Please tell me that you have one of those indestructible cases on that thing.”

“Yeah,” Sakura snorted back. Her mood had only gotten worse, despite managing to devour every bit of meat in the fridge. She watched as Shizune picked up the piece of electronic devilry and held it out. Sakura grumbled, “I don’t want it.”

“Why? More teenage angst that you don’t wanna deal with?” Shizune plopped down on the couch beside the girl, eyeing her carefully. “Having problems with friends who don’t know what’s going on?”

“Kinda. But I also have a crush on this guy at school. But I also _really_ like my best friend.”

“Ah,” Shizune said, her eyes softening with understanding. “This guy. He’s cool?” When Sakura nodded, Shizune continued, “Does he consider you a friend?”

“It’s hard to say. Sasuke is very quiet and doesn’t like talking much,” the teenager replied. She blushed faintly. “But then there’s Ino. My best friend.”

“Is she human too?”

“Yeah but she has this weird sixth sense,” Sakura said. “She just kind of _knows_ what’s going on.” She ran a hand through her hair and groaned, dropping her head against her knees. “I hate being a teenager.”

Shizune snorted. “Hey, I can’t blame you. I hated being a teenager too.” She leaned back against the cushions, scratching the back of her head as a sigh left her mouth. “I think those were some of the worst years of my life. When I gave myself the most scars.” Looking at Sakura, the older werewolf said, “Not only do you have to deal with the hormonal changes as a teenager but you also have the fact that as a werewolf, you’re coming into your strength and speed. Your aggression is heightened because of the hormonal changes and that doesn’t necessarily make you dangerous but it makes you emotionally volatile.”

Sakura sighed, “Translation please?”

“You’re a fucking mess and you need structure.”

The teen deadpanned, “Thanks a lot, asshole.”

Grinning, the older female laughed, “C’mon, I wasn’t trying to be mean.”

As the girl opened her mouth to reply, she paused and cocked her head slightly. “There’s- someone just stopped outside your door.” Seconds later there was a knock and Sakura smiled proudly.

Shizune pushed herself up off the couch, grinning at the faint but familiar scent just on the other side of the door. As she opened it, seeing Tsunade standing there with at least three bags of food on top of a ready-bake pizza, Shizune gaped and reached forward to take it, exclaiming, “Tsunade! You should’ve let me know you were coming! I could’ve helped!”

The woman shook her head, stepping inside as the werewolf side-stepped into the kitchen. She removed her shoes and set them in the cubby Shizune had right beside the door. “I thought you might appreciate being stocked up on food for the full moon. I remember last time that you absolutely tore through those steaks. So I went ahead and got a lot of food. Can you believe that steak actually costs _less_ than hamburger? It’s insane.” Tsunade paused on seeing Sakura. “Oh. Hey, kid.”

When she didn’t hear the teenager reply, Shizune peeked out from the kitchen to see her charge sitting upright. “Uh, Tsunade, this is Sakura. She’s a werewolf too. I’m, uh, her mentor. Sakura, this is Tsunade. The scientist I was telling you about.” She ducked back into the kitchen, putting the groceries away and getting the oven heated for the pizza. The older werewolf came back out, sitting back on the couch while Tsunade took one of the chairs. “How’ve you been, Tsunade?”

“Busy. Nawaki has been doing exams all week and I’ve been pouring over data from the study. We’ve barely gotten to say hi to each other in the mornings,” Tsunade responded. She paused. “So wait, how does a werewolf mentorship work?”

Sakura grinned and began explaining, “Well, the way it usually works is between a parent and child. But in some cases, a young werewolf will begin following an adult werewolf for guidance. It usually helps with aggression and helps the younger werewolf-”

“Hey, c’mon, there’s no need to bore her with the details,” Shizune interrupted. She stood and ran a hand into her hair, pointedly ignoring the way Tsunade glared at her. As she made her way into the kitchen, Shizune could hear Tsunade get to her feet as well.

“Shizune, _what the hell_?” They were in the kitchen at that point, Shizune standing in front of the oven while Tsunade stood at her side. “Sakura was just telling me about how your mentorship works. It’s fascinating!”

“There’s nothing special about a mentorship. It’s just life.” Shizune crossed her arms and bit the inside of her cheek.

Tsunade balled her hands into fists and stepped into Shizune’s line of sight, her voice dropping slightly as she hissed, “I’m curious, Shizune. I want to learn more about you!”

Something snapped in that instant and Shizune felt her lips curl back as she snarled, “More about _me_ or about _werewolves_?”

Eyes narrowing, Tsunade growled, “Are you _serious_? _That’s_ what you think this is about?” She took a step forward, glaring up at the younger woman and asking, “How _shallow_ do you think I am?” When the werewolf looked to the side, Tsunade felt her chest tighten and she reached up to grab Shizune’s chin and jerk her gaze back to attention. “You look at me and tell me; _how shallow do you think I am_?” There was still no answer from the taller female. Tears began pricking at the corners of Tsunade’s eyes as she shook her head and let go of Shizune’s chin. She scoffed, “I thought you had brains, Shizune.”

From the living room, Sakura sat on the couch in dumbfounded silence. She had heard Hiro and Hikari argue before; they were married and it was usually over little things. But hearing Tsunade and Shizune raise their voices at one another was almost heart-wrenching. She watched as Tsunade stormed out of the kitchen, slipping her shoes on aggressively. “B-bye, Tsunade. It...it was nice meeting you.”

Raising her head to look at the teenager, Tsunade smiled weakly and replied, “It was nice meeting you too, Sakura.” She glanced back at the kitchen once with a scowl before snatching a jacket and purse and storming out.

After the sound of feet stomping down the hall had faded out, Sakura got up and marched into the kitchen, hands on her hips. She glared at her mentor, snapping, “You idiot, what the hell was that about?”

“Shut up, Sakura,” Shizune huffed. As she ran a hand through her hair, Shizune finally glanced at the teenager and saw the scowl on her face. “What?” She stood with arms akimbo, eyes narrowed. “She’s a scientist and I’m betting she just wants to know more about werewolves.”

Sakura slapped a hand to her forehead and groaned, “Are you _fucking kidding me_?” She held her arms out, green eyes narrowed as she shouted, “ _Shizune, she cares about you!_ ” The teenager shoved her mentor’s shoulder, bracing herself for retaliation. “ _You could practically_ smell _the sincerity on her!”_

The older werewolf growled. “You just have a crush on her because she’s attractive.”

“And you’re practically in love with her!” Sakura shot back. The dumbfounded look on Shizune’s face validated Sakura’s instincts and she felt a swell of pride in her chest. A new scent caught her nose, making Sakura hold up a hand and mutter, “Wait a sec.” She followed the smell to the entry and spotted the black peacoat still hanging up. “Shizune. She grabbed the wrong jacket.”

Poking her head out of the kitchen, Shizune spotted it and sighed heavily, running a hand over her face. “Fuck it all. That’s it. We’re going to the forest tomorrow.”

Bouncing on her toes, Sakura howled, “Heck _yes_!”

[X]

Tall oak trees and evergreens towered over their heads as Sakura ran amongst them, gear strapped to her back. “C’mon, slowpoke!” She raced ahead, laughing happily while Shizune trailed behind. “The campsite my parents drop me off at is right ahead!” As she reached the clearing, the girl set her bag down and stretched her arms above her head, groaning happily. “I’m so happy being out here. The fresh air, the trees-”

“Escaping from the city...” Shizune grumbled softly. She set her own bag down and propped herself up against it after plopping down on the grass. “I just want to get the transformation over with. I’m tired of being irritated.”

Sakura scoffed, “Yeah, ‘cuz then you can apologize to Tsunade for being a jackass.” She narrowly dodged the pinecone that soared by her head, rounding on her mentor as she sat coolly against her pack. “Aim could use some work.”

“Fuck off,” the older werewolf retorted. Shizune chewed at the inside of her cheek, glaring off to the side while her charge started climbing a tree. From her bag, she heard the chiming of her phone and felt her heart sink. ‘ _Please don’t be Tsunade. Please don’t be Tsunade._ ’ She started to dig into her bag but stopped and sighed, “Fuck.” She pushed the bag away and held her head in her hands, groaning softly.

From one of the trees, she heard Sakura shout, “It’s sunset!” After a pause, another shout from the girl confirmed, “It’s really pretty! You should totally come see this!”

Shizune raised her head as the light from the setting sun went orange to a rosy pink. She knew the full moon would be visible soon. The woman stripped out of her t-shirt and the cargo shorts; she closed her eyes, taking deep breaths of the evening air. The transformation was slightly less painful when her body wasn’t struggling against ripping fabric. When she heard Sakura come down from the tree, Shizune quietly said, “Better get ready.”

“Right,” Sakura replied.

It wasn’t much longer before the moon became visible through the trees; Shizune’s pupils shrunk, the irises of her eyes yellowing as her heart started to pound. The transformation was not a painless one. A low growl rumbled in her chest as her ribcage expanded and popped. Her limbs stretched and the sprouting of fur made her skin burn and itch. It was over after a minute or two and when Shizune raised her head, the world seemed centered. All of the scents were even clearer and sharper through her nose and the sounds were all separate. The scent of another werewolf made her head turn and she spotted a smaller, red-furred werewolf; immediately, she recognized Sakura and Shizune padded over to her quietly.

The younger werewolf chuffed, fur standing on end for a minute at the sight of the older female. A moment of tense silence passed before they broke into a run, chasing one another through the trees.

[X]

It was sunrise when the transformation ended. Sakura was thoroughly worn out, barely managing to tug on her fresh clothing before dropping. Shizune, being older and more experienced, quickly tugged on the clean clothes and gathered their respective bags before hauling Sakura onto her back and making the trek back to her car. The morning air was brisk and Shizune smiled to feel the light dampness. She tossed the bags into the backseat of her sedan and then shifted Sakura and eased her into the passenger seat. The teenager roused enough to mumble, “Shizune?”

“We’re headed back to my place so we can sleep, all right?” Sakura nodded and Shizune smiled as she got into the driver’s side. She waited for a moment to yawn before turning on some light music to keep herself awake. The trip went quicker than Shizune had expected and when she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex, she felt an intense wave of relief overcome her. Carrying Sakura up the few sets of stairs was simple and when she got the door open, the familiarity of the apartment was a welcome one. Shizune set her charge on the couch and covered her with a blanket, setting the girl’s bag down on the floor beside the couch. Then, feeling the exhaustion suddenly hit, she stumbled down the hall and fell into bed, not even bothering to cover up.

It felt like no time at all when she was woken by knocking. Her eyes snapped open when she recognized the scent and she jolted, fumbling out of bed and giving a surprised screech. Laughter met her ears and she sat upright on the floor to look up at Tsunade standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. “You’re cute when you’re surprised.” Her smile softened as she let her arms drop. “C’mon. My brother got coffee for all of us. I want you to meet him.”

Shizune nodded but said nothing as Tsunade turned and walked back down the hall. The werewolf opted for putting on slightly nicer clothes and combing through her hair before finally leaving the sanctity of her own room. On her couch, Sakura sat next to Tsunade and spoke tiredly, light bags under her eyes as the conversation dissolved into laughter. In one of her armchairs, there sat a young man with messy brunette hair and a bright grin. When he noticed the owner of the apartment, the man shot to his feet and held out a hand. “Hiya! I’m Nawaki, Tsunade’s little brother. You must be Shizune!”

The woman took Nawaki’s hand, giving a firm shake as she nodded, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

From beside her, Shizune heard Tsunade stage whisper, “ _Laaaame_.”

Nawaki laughed and tugged Shizune close to wrap her in a hug. “Don’t be so formal! C’mon, let’s have some coffee. You look like you’ve barely slept.”

“Uhm, I hope you’ll excuse me but I, uhm, can’t really handle strong-tasting beverages or foods the day after my transformation.” She smiled weakly. “Stomach is extremely sensitive.”

“Oh, do you want me to run and get you some green tea or something?” Nawaki offered. His eyes lit up as he asked, “Have you been to that tea store at the mall? They have this _killer_ oolong tea-”

Shizune smiled sheepishly. “I have some tea from there. It’s actually called _Momotaro_. It’s one of my favorites.”

Tsunade’s little brother leaned back in the chair and he grinned at his sister. “That is a really good one. I remember sampling it.” He took a sip of his coffee and held up a hand until he had swallowed. “Ok, wait, I gotta tell you guys this. Ok. So, I was working on this paper for mid-terms, right, and my roommate is up in his bunk. And I’m typing away because I’m tired and I wanna finish up. All of a sudden, I start hearing, like, porn noises and my roommate falls out of his fuckin’ bunk ‘cause his ex sent him this link to a porn site and concealed it to make it look like a link to delete their old prom photos. I was laughing so hard, man. My roommate’s face was so red and he, like- he couldn’t exit out of it too.”

Sakura was laughing hard enough to warrant tipping over on the couch and burying her face in the pillow. She giggled, voice muffled in the fabric as she said, “Oh my God, that’s epic.”

Shizune rolled her eyes as she stepped off to the kitchen, setting some water on to boil for tea. She listened while Sakura and Nawaki tossed stories back and forth. A slight anxiety began to build when she heard Tsunade’s footsteps get closer. She bit her lip but didn’t immediately say anything when the blonde walked in. She shot her a weak smile but was quickly distracted by the water beginning to boil over. “Shit!” She rushed to the stove, pulling the pot off the burner while Tsunade snickered playfully. Shizune took a moment to get her tea cup ready before she looked back at the blonde woman and softly explained, “I wanted to say I’m sorry for my behavior the other day. I-”

“Jeez, Shizune.” Tsunade crossed her arms and smirked. “You need to learn how to let that stuff go.” A moment passed where they simply stared at one another until Tsunade shook her head and sighed, “Just c’mere, you silly puppy.”

Pouting dejectedly while Tsunade took a few steps closer, Shizune huffed, “I’m not a puppy...” It wasn’t until the human woman’s arms closed around her hips that the dark-haired werewolf smiled and wrapped her own arms around Tsunade’s shoulders. “I don’t want to just be some interesting test subject for you to study and then just leave.” Her cheeks warmed slightly as she admitted, “I’m way too attached to you for that.”

The blonde woman rolled her eyes as she pushed Shizune back, still holding onto her arms firmly as she glared up at her. “Shizune, I’m _genuinely_ interested in you.”

Shizune’s eyebrows rose as she asked, “Ok, so would you wanna go on a date or something?”

Tsunade grinned as she said, laughing quietly, “I honestly thought I’d have to ask you first.”

The werewolf’s jaw dropped as she gasped, “What, you thought I’d be too shy?” She shifted out of Tsunade’s hold and reached for her hands as both of them giggled. “You thought that I, a _werewolf_ , would be too shy to ask you out? Are you _serious_?” She leaned in, grinning as their noses bumped.

Not to be outdone, the blonde woman glanced between Shizune’s eyes and her lips once before closing her eyes and kissing the taller woman softly. It was soft and quick and when she pulled back, Tsunade grinned and said, “Beat you to that though.” As they studied one another carefully, their fingers laced together and they stood there in the middle of the kitchen, holding hands. “So,” the scientist asked, “when do you wanna go on that date?”

Shizune grinned shyly and leaned in to press a kiss to Tsunade’s cheek, replying, “Well, I go back to work on Monday but I’m off on weekends.” She brought one of her hands away to rub the back of her neck, tilting her head curiously. “Saturday night work?”

Just as Tsunade opened her mouth to speak, a shout from the living room replied, “Saturday is perfect! Sis, find out where you’re going on the date so we can go shopping!”

The scientist rolled her eyes. “Yes, Nawaki.” She tilted her head and mumbled, “You know, your tea is probably done.”

“Oh, _shit_ ,” Shizune gasped as she let go of Tsunade’s hand and rounded to pull the diffuser out of her tea cup. She brought it to her lips, testing it gingerly. “Ok, crisis averted. It’s good.” She turned and blushed faintly when Tsunade giggled. “What? I like tea, ok?”

Tsunade shook her head. “I prefer coffee. The stronger the better.”

Sakura and Nawaki peeked into the kitchen, looking curiously at the pair. “So did you guys kiss or what?”

Rounding on the two, Tsunade snapped, “Yes, we kissed, now go sit down and let us talk!”

Nawaki shot back, “No way! I came here to meet your crush and make new friends. Honestly, sis, you raised me that I should get to know people better than face value. _Gosh_.”

Shizune leaned against the counter, sipping her tea quietly and smiling. “Yeah, Tsunade. _Gosh_.”

There was a moment where Tsunade paused and looked back at Shizune with her lips pursed. Her eyebrows shot up as she questioned, “And when did you suddenly get so bold?” Shizune didn’t even bother to answer as she started laughing, setting her tea down and pinching the bridge of her nose. “I love that my question doesn’t even warrant a verbal answer,” Tsunade chuckled.

[X]

Tsunade leaned back on the couch, fingers running lightly through her girlfriend’s hair as the werewolf played her game. She asked, “So, how’s the medication working?”

Humming a quiet two-tone, the taller woman replied, “Pretty well. My transformation is tonight. And I haven’t lost my temper _once_.” She grinned as she shot a banshee out of range. “It’s been great. I take two days off instead of the entire week leading up and I’m not as sick the day after the transformation. It’s been amazing.”

“Good. I’m just thrilled that it’s finally being marketed,” Tsunade said. She gasped when another banshee teleported right beside Shepard. “Oh my God, Shizune, shoot it, _shoot it._ ”

The werewolf giggled as Tsunade tugged her to sit upright, strong arms slipping around her waist as Tsunade peeked over Shizune’s shoulder. “I’ve got it, don’t worry!” She laughed to feel Tsunade bouncing anxiously behind her. “Chill! Look, I’m still very alive.”

“No thanks to Garrus. What the hell was he doing?”

Shizune shook her head, eyes rolling. “I don’t really know.” She saved the game and turned off the system, shifting her body so she could look at the blonde. “You sure you wanna see the transformation?”

Tsunade nodded, mumbling, “If you don’t mind. I’d like to see what you look like.” She leaned in, kissing the younger woman gently. When she pulled back, she paused, asking, “Is that Playboy New York?”

“Bingo,” the brunette laughed. She tilted her head, letting their foreheads touch as she chimed, “You’re getting better at recognizing scents.”

“Thanks,” laughed the older woman. She reached up, gently cupping Shizune’s cheeks before running her fingers into her black hair, pulling her into another kiss. There was something in the way that Tsunade kissed; it was slow but it was not soft. It was firm and it made Shizune’s heart race. When she would pull away, she would still let their lips linger close together. “You’re always running a temperature; did you know that?”

“Yeah, I know,” Shizune replied softly. Her spine crawled when she hazarded a glance out the window. “It’s getting close to time.” She pulled away from the shorter female, taking a deep breath. “And Sakura just showed up.”

The door opened and the teenager stepped in. “Yo,” she greeted. She kicked off her shoes and walked into the living room, her leaf-green eyes already darkening slightly. “I figured you’d be hanging out here. TenTen and her parents are on vacation.” She sat in a nearby chair and glanced at Tsunade. “Will this be your first time seeing Shizune’s transformation?”

“Yeah,” she replied. She raised an eyebrow. “Quick question though; when you transform, is your fur _pink_?”

Sakura laughed and shook her head. “Nah! My fur is red, right, Shizune?” When Shizune nodded to confirm, the younger werewolf grinned brightly. “Shizune’s fur is a dark, thick black. Before we got the medication, we’d go to the woods and play chase. Or wrestle. A lot of the time, we did both.”

“So, basically, rough housing.” When both monsters looked at each other, Tsunade rolled her eyes. “You act like scolded children.”

Shizune began to say something when a wave of adrenaline hit her, sending her heart pounding. She quickly began to pull her shirt off, explaining quickly, “It hurts to transform and have fabric ripping against my growing muscle.” Sakura was doing likewise, leaving Tsunade to blush lightly at the sight of Shizune’s well-defined abs. She continued to watch even as the transformation began to take place. It was horrifying but also interesting.

After it was done, Tsunade sat on the couch while two werewolves towered beside one another. She glanced from the smaller red wolf to the taller, more muscular black one, marveling at the glossy fur. The scientist stood slowly, realizing that she would have to crane her neck to look up at the monster. Shizune, in her wolf form, stood a full foot taller than Tsunade and had gold-colored eyes. The human woman reached up, gingerly resting her hands against the taller werewolf’s chest. They each tensed for a moment at the contact but eventually relaxed as Tsunade’s hands traced the muscle of Shizune’s arms and broad shoulders. She whispered, “You’re...so tall.”

The red-furred werewolf snorted; her tail began to wag, making Tsunade laugh at the sight. When she noticed Shizune’s tail begin to wag, Tsunade got curious. She reached up and said, “Lower your head.” When her girlfriend had done so, Tsunade began scratching behind the tall ears. Shizune promptly gave a pleased grumble, tail wagging furiously.

Dealing with werewolves was interesting, as Tsunade discovered. Because when she saw Shizune enjoying a good scratch, Sakura butted her great head against Tsunade’s arm and the woman obliged. The two werewolves were almost like giant puppies with Tsunade. They sat with her, laid across her lap, sniffed at her curiously and also nudged one another playfully. It was nothing like the scientist had assumed.

As the night wore on and sunrise approached, she noticed that Sakura and Shizune both were yawning more and beginning to shrink. It wasn’t much longer before the werewolves returned to their human forms. Sakura tugged on her clothing and flopped onto the couch, curling up into a ball, surrounding herself with extra pillows and throw blankets. Shizune mumbled tiredly, dressed in a sports bra and lounge shorts, “C’mon, we can cuddle in my bed.” The taller woman threw an arm around Tsunade’s shoulders, turning her head to press a kiss to the top of her head. “I love you, Tsunade.” Her voice was soft and husky, making a shiver run down her short girlfriend’s spine.

They laid down, Tsunade throwing an arm over Shizune’s waist while the werewolf sprawled onto her back. Her head was nestled in the crook of the taller woman’s shoulder and Shizune laughed when Tsunade pulled the blanket up over herself. Tsunade murmured, “I love you too, Shizune.”


End file.
